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When goals come from the stands – Juan Mata

When goals come from the stands – Juan Mata

I guess that you’ll be more up for reading this post than you were a week ago… It’s only normal, it’s the same for me writing it. Saturday’s win was special, without doubt, not only for how important it was but also for how it came about.

As you’re all aware, the situation was dire. We were 2-0 down early on and Newcastle were creating chances. A come back seemed a long way off. Not because scoring two or three goals was impossible, as we showed, but due to how we were feeling in that first half… However, in the second half we gave all that we had. From pushing on, courage and our football, we turned the scoreline around.

Thanks to all of this and the incredible support of our fans, of course, we were pushed towards the three points. The energy and lift that the fans gave us was key to taking the win. In the dying minutes, above all, Old Trafford transformed into the kind of stadium that every other one in the world wants to be, a stadium where goals can be scored from the stands too. It was really amazing to be able to feel that from the pitch itself. In those moments, you realise just how special our fans are. You all deserved the result from that game.

On a personal level, obviously it was important to score the first goal, the one that got us back into the game and made us believe in the chance of a comeback. It was a free kick, something which isn’t new to me (they have told me that since I’ve arrived in the Premier League, nobody has scored more goals from direct free kicks) and therefore sometimes I ask to take them. I believe that there are three key factors when it is time to take a free kick: practice (something that I really enjoy during training), concentration (in order to focus on striking the ball well) and confidence (to believe that it is going to end in a goal). After that, obviously it doesn’t always go in… but luckily on Saturday it did.

Carrying on with free kicks… I am sure that many of you are pretty good at taking them on FIFA 19 already, right? Well, I invite you all to find out more about Common Goal and join our movement through the game itself. Alex Hunter, the virtual star of FIFA, already has done, and his support won’t just stay on the screen… EA Sports have joined the Common Goal team to help the movement out financially too. It is great news, and more will be coming soon… keep an eye out!

FIFA slams transfer ban, heavy fine on Chelsea

The world football governing body, FIFA, has placed a ban on Chelsea Football Club from signing players for the next two transfer windows.

The English club has also been slammed with a fine of £400,000.

It is understood that Chelsea are being punished having been found guilty by FIFA of breaching rules about signing minors.

FIFA also fined England FA £391,000 and Chelsea have been given 90 days to rectify the situation concerning the players signed.

As reported by Sky Sports News, these punishments are a result of a three-year FIFA investigation related to the signing of more than a dozen players by Chelsea.

One of the main contentious signings was that of Bertrand Traore in 2013. Chelsea also twice breached regulations relating to third-party influence, article 18bis, FIFA said.

Chelsea will be able to sell players, but not register any new signings.

“This ban applies to the club as a whole – with the exception of the women’s and futsal teams – and does not prevent the release of players,” FIFA said in a statement.

The transfer of Christian Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund to Chelsea should not be in danger as the player was registered in FIFA’s Transfer Matching System (TMS) in January, according to Sky Germany.

Previous instances of similar infractions involving other clubs have seen the clubs involved appeal against the penalties, delaying the implementation of a registration ban and allowing them to sign players.

Chelsea were given a transfer ban in 2009 after there was a complaint about the youth player Gael Kakuta joining illegally two years earlier.Chelsea appealed that and had the ban reduced

Court orders Jay Jay Okocha’s arrest

A Lagos Division of the Lagos State High Court in Igbosere has issued a bench warrant for the arrest of former Super Eagles star, Austin Okocha, over tax evasion charges.

Mr Okocha – or Jay Jay Okocha as he is popularly known – has repeatedly failed to appear before the court to answer why he allegedly failed to pay his income taxes.

Adedayo Akintoye, the judge, issued the warrant for the arrest of the former Eagles captain on January 29 and thereafter adjourned until February 19.

However, on February 19, the prosecution had not effected the arrest forcing the judge to, again, adjourn till April 15 and ordering that the warrant be executed by then.

The football star is facing a three-count charge instituted by the Lagos State Ministry of Justice bordering on failure to furnish his income returns and nonpayment of tax.

The state filed the charges through its prosecutor, Jide Martins, in June 2017 and the suit began four months later.

The defendant, however, had failed to appear in court.

After several adjournments without Mr Okocha appearing despite having been served the court papers, Mr Martins prayed the court to issue a bench warrant for his arrest.

According to the prosecutor, Mr Okocha had failed to furnish his income returns for tax purposes to the Lagos State Internal Revenue Service.

Mr Martins also said that the defendant had failed to pay his income taxes.

He said the offences contravened Sections 56 (a) and (b) of the Lagos State Revenue Administration Law No. 8, 2006 and Section 94 (1) of the Personal Income Tax Act Cap P8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.